Scotlynn considered running away. To leave and never come back. Pack her stuff and find her own place to live. She'd live with Bon in his house in Australia. She'd see his mates and his work, and would get to travel the world. Scotlynn thought maybe they'd send police dogs out to find her. Miss Atkinson would be so worried about her. Oh, she'd cry and cry, her glasses constantly being removed to make way for a tissue. She'd be sorry she'd ever yelled at her.

A smile crept its way on her face, a giggle to follow. Visions of Miss Atkinson hobbling down the street calling for her, looking in the most random places filled her mind. The rubbish bag she held clanked against a rock in the grass. Bottles spilled out the top, the rest of the bag full of wrappers, shoelaces, a soda can, and tissues. Kicking the rock for the inconvenience, Scotlynn clumsily grabbed the bottles, shoving them with the other garbage. A swift shove, accidental yet with no remorse, knocked her to the ground, a bottle crushed under two pairs of feet, and kicked away from the girl's reach. Without looking back, the two imps scampered off with their game, heading for the sandbox to dig for treasure.

Scotlynn was sore when she stood up. Dirt and grass clung to her knees, a scrape on her elbow. She palmed it and looked; no blood. Miss Atkinson was standing a good distance away, chatting with the town garbage man. Scotlynn had never seen him outside of his truck, he was ugly. Definitely not like Bon Scott, with his shaggy blonde hair and unkempt eyebrows. He was a lot better off in his truck, she thought. With Miss Atkinson busy conversing, it wasn't likely she'd listen to the girl's complaints, or even believe them. Leaving the issue alone, she scanned the ground for where her bottle flew off to.

The disfigured plastic lay in a crowded patch of grass by the gate. The rubbish bag skidded across the ground as she dragged it behind her. Before her hand could take it, the bottle was out of the grass and in someone else's hand. His hand.

It clinked against the chain links as his hands took turns guiding the bottle up. Once at his level he pulled it through and held it, inspecting it. "You sure drop a lot of things down here, don't ya'?" he asked with a wink.

Scotlynn stared up at the man, unable to answer. He didn't look mad with the grin on his face, or the relaxed manner in his posture. She stood there waiting, waiting for him to yell at her or even-as Jimmie had warned-take her away, and pick on her. Her mouth hung open, one hand clenching the rubbish bag, the other desperately searching for her locket. "I, I..."

"What's the bag for?" he asked nodding in its direction. The bottle was passed to each of his hands back and forth, with Scotlynn's eyes following.

"I, I have to clean up the playground," she mumbled unsure if Bon heard her. She jumped out of the way of a kickball driving its path through the ground behind her. The man behind the gate eyed the children playing in the yard, raising an eyebrow.

"Why don't they help ya'?" he asked. "Is it a one-man job?"

"I'm not a man!" Bon smiled at the rise in volume from the girl whose fists were now balled up.

"I jus' meant you're doin' it by yourself. Ya' know, everyone else gets to fu-play around while you work, how's that fair?" he inquired waving his hand. A small, black, buckled shoe toed the ground while the man waited patiently for an answer.

"I'm in trouble."

"Trouble?" Bon knelt to her level, the bottle set on the grass beside his shoe. "What'd you do? Talk back?"

"I beat someone up." Shock covered the man's face. Scotlynn thought maybe now he would yell at her, and something about that thought was unsettling; more so than the scolding she received from Miss Atkinson the night before.

Bon stayed still for a minute taking it in. "Holy moly, ya' beat someone to a pulp? How d'ya' like that, eh?" Scotlynn frowned and made a grab for the bottle in the grass. Bon's swift hand took it too soon. "Ah ah ah," he warned then laughed as he saw her disgruntled expression. The necklace in her pocket was left alone and she grabbed the rubbish bag with two hands. "So tell me, Scottie Dog, uh, what'd they do to make you punch them out, huh?"

The girl glanced over her shoulder. The numerous girls paid heed to their own little worlds and activities; the man at the gate wasn't there. She turned back to Bon, who juggled the bottle back and forth again, trying to balance it on his finger. His scarf was gone, but the black leather jacket was back. Scotlynn decided she liked that one the best. It matched his hair. She wished she had one like it. "I got milk poured on my head." Her voice had regressed to a mumble.

In an instant Bon was frowning, the bottle dropped to his feet. "Who did it?"

"I...I don't know her name, it happened at dinner time." Standing up with his hands in his pockets, Bon shook his head and picked the bottle up. Scotlynn made a grab for it.

"Jump for it," he smiled, holding it though the gate just out of her reach. Scotlynn left the bag behind her while she jumped, her fingers always inches short of the litter. The man laughed as he teased her, her aggravation growing. "Come on, grab it, grab it!"

"Give it!"

"Not until you tell me why I was left standin' here alone last night," he said, edging in closer. The jumping ceased and Scotlynn crossed her arms, kicking the gate. "Now now, don't come after me."

"I wasn't allowed to come see you."

"Ohhhh, uh, no going out after dark?"

"A little." Scotlynn stared at the bottle, resting on the chain link. "I got taken away when I got in trouble."

"Oh, so you couldn't, like, sneak out?" She shook her head. "Well then. If ya' can't sneak out, I might just sneak in!"

"You'll get in trouble too," the girl argued.

"I ain't afraid of Miss Applegate or whatever her name was. Now the cops...I'm sure they'd have a fun time takin' me to jail." Scotlynn laughed at the man, her giggling attracting the attention of a group of seven year olds. One of them being Jimmie Big Mouth Bean. "You're right," he laughed with her. "I would get in trouble."

"I'm sorry," she said, taking a black braid in her hands. Her braids were loose today; tiny fingers had put them together that morning. They looked a lot better in the nursery. Bon waved her off.

"Don't worry about it, kid, I ain't upset." Bon's eyes wandered away and landed on the group of girls standing a few yards off, whispering to each other. He made eye contact with one of them, one who turned back to her friends to spill some hushed secrets. He stepped back, sticking the bottle through the chain links. "Here, uh, I'd better get goin'."

Scotlynn accepted the bottle. "Why?"

"Uh, the guys are waitin' for me," he answered slowly. Scotlynn watched him head down the street.

"Wait!" The man glanced over his shoulder. "When can I see you again?" The distance muffled the girl's voice. He came back to the gate.

"What?"

"When can I see you again?" Bon knelt to her level.

"I don't know. Last time we made plans you put yourself in quite a pinch." The little girl kicked her foot against the gate. Bon searched the yard for the other children, or any adults whose quick glance in his direction might send a wisp of worry in their hearts and call for help. "I gotta get goin' kid-"

"Wait! What about tomorrow?" Bon gave a half smile.

"Can't, I have work." Scotlynn pouted. He laughed as she pulled away when he ruffled her hair through the gate. "Don't worry, I'll come around. But uh, you better be careful from now on, don't get yourself in any more trouble."

"You can't tell me what to do."

"I'm gonna anyway. Promise me you won't get in any more fights." Miss Atkinson blew her whistle. Hoards of children sprinted to the door, filing themselves to be let inside for lunch.

"Why?" Scotlynn asked.

"Because, it's not ladylike."

"I'm not a lady!" Bon was growing impatient.

"Look, it's just not right for a kid like you, they're messy. You don't want to live like that, always fightin', do ya'?"

"Do you fight?" Bon closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I can't talk anymore, kid, I've got to go, and so do you." His finger pointed to the building where girls were being checked for attendance before being allowed admittance. The line was growing shorter and shorter, more and more kids running down the hallways to the mess hall. Miss Atkinson scanned the yard for any insubordinate strays. Scotlynn took off for the line before she could get scolded, turning back one last time. Bon Scott was already gone.

No chocolate milk settled in Scotlynn's hair that afternoon. It was likely for Scotlynn's benefit as she had no means of getting into trouble. Not if it made Bon Scott mad at her. Gripping her tray of peas and pudding with both hands, she made her way through the swarm to find a certain girl. She was stared at, of course, but no one crossed her path for fear of a fate worse than Tabby's. Jimmie sat by her tray, picking the dirt from under her fingernails. Soon a second tray was beside hers and company to go along. "You again, huh?" Jimmie asked sticking her tongue out. She removed her ball cap and shook her hair. "Alright, what do you want?"

"Did you see me?" The chair underneath her wobbled, the same way Miss Atkinson would.

"Yeah, I see you," Jimmie answered chewing her nail. Scotlynn grimaced at the sight, suddenly not too excited about lunch. She shook her head.

"No, did you see me. In the yard." Jimmie's teeth chattered and crunched through her nails making Scotlynn perfectly sick. She inspected them after a fashion, checking for any chips or frays.

"Oh yeah, you were with that man again weren't ya'? I saw you loud an' clear. You're gonna get in big trouble if you're caught talkin' to him."

"Please don't tell anyone," the girl pleaded. Her plastic fork pushed the peas on her tray around.

"He could make you disappear, don't you know that ya' dummy?"

"No he won't! He's very nice and he won't ever hurt me, so don't tell anyone!"

"If he won't hurt ya', why shouldn't I tell anyone?"

"Because...because..." she stuttered. "B-because I said so." Jimmie frowned and crossed her arms.

"What if Miss Atkinson catches you? She'll go nuts if she sees him around."

"She won't see him, he's very good at hiding." Scotlynn had no clue if Bon could hide well or not. An apple was taken from Jimmie's tray, small teeth sinking in, and the resulting spray splashing all over Scotlynn's face. "Ew!"

"Oops," Jimmie laughed. "Shorry."

"You can't tell anyone," the girl said again as she wiped her face with her arm. The apple was treated mercilessly in Jimmie's mouth before she answered again.

"What's innit for me?"

"What-what do you want?" Tossing the rest of the apple behind her, Jimmie got to work on the pudding.

"I don't have any batteries in my collection," she said. The girl next to her continued to push her fork around.

"Neither do I."

"Well." Jimmie wiped her mouth and shrugged. "That's a shame, isn't it, huh? Hmm. I guess even you can't have too much luck findin' the good stuff around here...alright. Here's a deal." Pudding smeared itself across her cheeks, coating her teeth. Scotlynn's tray was pushed away, the fork placed upon the peas. "Whatever you can find me. An' I won't tell."

"Anything?"

"Anything you find me, an' I won't tell Miss A. you're seein' a man."

Scotlynn fiddled with the silver locket in her pocket. "Anything I can find." Jimmie nodded. "And you won't tell?"

"That's what I said, ain't it?" Sitting for a second in thought, gaze directed in front of her with no specific target, she released the locket from her grasp, the tray pulled back in her direction. Quickly the peas were forced in her mouth, Jimmie shrugging and grabbing her glass of juice to drink.

Scotlynn stood by the gate, eyes glued to the tree on the other side. The ground beneath it was littered with cigarettes, the street behind it swimming with cars. She hadn't seen Bon Scott all day, and the night before was just as lonesome. Once again the chain was fiddled and clenched in her fingertips. She thought maybe she could wear it now, as Miss Atkinson hadn't had it taken away from her. Fear that it should fall out also nagged at her heart and brain, as her adventures of Eloise had become more daring.

She thought perhaps he wasn't coming back. Maybe he grew tired of her, or decided his work was more important. She didn't blame him, only held a slight remorse that he shouldn't tell her. His words in fact, said the opposite. Why should he lie to her so? If he was telling the truth, why should he be so vague?

A cricket ball hit the gate a foot away from her head, scaring the wits out of her. She turned to see a brunette swinging a bat in her direction suddenly stop a yard away. "I'm sorry about that, I got a bit out of practice since the season ended."

Scotlynn stepped aside as the brunette picked up the ball and threw it back to her group. She was tall; a nine year old at the least. Freckles spotted her cheeks and nose, with a slight gap in her teeth allowing a lisp in her speech. Seeing the younger girl still disturbed by the ball nearly taking her head off, she reached out her hand. "I'm Maude."

Scotlynn stayed still. Maude lowered her hand. "We're playin' cricket over there. You wanna join us?" Without a word, Scotlynn stared up at her. The breeze blew through their hair while the sun shone silver behind the clouds making them squint. Slowly the young girl turned her head toward the tree. Still, no one was there. With the same speed she resumed looking at Maude, who had frowned slightly, and left without another word to continue their game. Scotlynn's gaze at the group lingered. Half the yard was taken up by their game, some playing, some watching. A redhead had hit the ball quite far, several players and spectators cheering. Scotlynn's black shoes with the buckles toed the grass beneath her, washing themselves in mud.